10 Great Foodie Vacations

The Napa Valley in California may be the ultimate vacation destination for food and wine lovers. One of the most famous and rapturously-reviewed restaurants in the world is located in the Napa Valley -- Thomas Keller's The French Laundry. It serves two nine-course, prix fixe menus each day, and never uses the same ingredient more than once.

Napa Valley restaurants tend to serve organic, locally grown food -- sometimes grown right in the back garden at the restaurant. Beef, fish, poultry and vegetarian dishes are common, with a light rather than heavy sauce. This lighter preparation is sometimes referred to as "wine country cuisine." The big attraction here is that most meals are designed and prepared to pair well with a local wine.